HOLIDAYS
HOLIDAYS
- Make a re-printed scavenger hunt lists. Put together a collection container (preferrably on wheels. We use a stroller with a box in it.) for recycleables.
- Walk and collect items.
- Mark them off on the scavenger hunt list
- Make predictions and find a solution.
- Reuse or recycle items
- Tubes of acrylic mural paint are ideal
- If that doesn't fit your budget, then you can use "ordinary" household paint and then use acrylic for the details.
- Make sure that you choose paint with a matte or eggshell finish so that they won't reflect light.
- Stencils of different sizes if you want a more uniformed appeal.
- Make sure the wall is clean, otherwise clean your wall first.
- If the wall is full of different colors, you can consider painting the entire wall with a base (or primer) color of white, for instance, for painting ease.
- Think of what you want to put on the wall, and you can either use the grid method or just let your creativity run fluidly on the wall.
- Ideas for what to paint: flowers, trees, bumblebees, a pond with ducks, a happy sun wearing sunglasses, happy children playing in a yard.
- After you’re done, apply a final graffiti-resistant finish which can range from protective wax coatings to 2-component, solvent-based polyurethane coatings. Both can be found at your local Home Depot or Lowe’s.
- How it works:
Pick a place with enough room to set up shop.
Have community members bring their underused goods and display them forthe taking. Clothes that don't fit, a dresser that doesn't go with yourdecor, gift's your ex gave you, the bike you don't ride, the jewelryyou meant to regift, or the crib you don't plan on using again.
You can leave your stuff for the taking and browse others' treasures to see what you might be intersted in.
Have local restaurants donate a few trays of food and see if you can get some live entertainment, make it an all day affair.
You can have raffels and auction off trees (donated by the parks dept), seeds, bulbs, compost, or organic goods.
Have someone giving a compost demonstration and giving tips on how to garden.
Teach the young one how to recycle- make it a game- even have the bringcans from home and slam dunk them into the right baskets for a chanceto wine a prize.
Ask guests to come to the event with something they recycled- therewill be prizes for the most creative, the most genius, and the mosthumorous.
When they day is over arrange for a good will van to pick up whatever has not found a home- so that it can get another chance.
Have any money raised go into planting flowers and plants in the area.
The community will have saved our earth from a whole landfill and walkaway with lessons learned, a great feeling and perhaps some great finds.
So on Earth Day, I plan to purchase around 20 eco-friendly totes (however many you want) so my kids can paint designs on them and create their personalized green tote! You can take your pick! Eco-friendly totes range from organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, to biodegradable, and non-woven polypropylene. And if you search online for them you can get them easily for less than $1.00 each.
I am going to set up a station with non-toxic, biodegradable paint so that my kids and their fellow friends can paint designs on them. Maybe the theme can be, "How do we protect the Earth?" Then on the back of the bag, maybe the older kids or I can write a true fact about the environmental harm of plastic bags! Here is a great site that has some interesting facts that people should know: http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php.
One these bags are all dry and ready to go, I am going to take the kids to a nearby grocery store and have them hand them out to consumers in line as Earth Day gifts to spread this green love all throughout town!
A block party is a great way to help clean up our environment. Getting neighbors together is a great way for people to come together and share ideas.
If your neighborhood has an annual yard sale ask to have a block party the same day and have the theme GO GREEN.
Have a simple banner printed and post at the Go Green station
example Chapel Farms has Gone Green and have everyone sign the banner. Hang the banner in a prominate place in the neighborhood or over the neighborhood sign to show the comitment to our environment.
Set up station one
to collect aluminun cans
Have everyone sign the Go Green banner
Set up station two
to display a couple of recyclable bins and where they can be purchased / have information available for simple ways to begin recycling
Set up station three with food and drinks using recycled products
Have fun!
- Show photos of land fills with piles of plastic water bottles, them show them photos of things made out of plastic water bottles if they recycle them they will feel a big part of saving our planet and making something useful out of recycled plastic.
check this out http://green.yahoo.com/blog/daily_green_news/18/the-seven-coolest-things-made-from-recycled-bottles.html?l=http://green.yahoo.com/blog/daily_green_news/18/the-seven-coolest-things-made-from-recycled-bottles.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/0811-recycling_revolution.htm
http://www.digtriad.com/news/watercooler/article.aspx?storyid=101274&catid=176
- Have a computer and show them the above links and the impact of plastic bottles
- Have a contest to see how many bottles they can collect and recycle in 2 weeks.
I am planning to get all of my friends and neighbors to spread the word about how we can reduce global warming.
On Earth Day we are going to start the "Cool World" campaign. This is something that every homeowner and car owner can do to reduce global warming.We want everyone to wake up on Earth Day and open all of their windows and doors. Then turn their air conditioners as low as they can go. We're hoping that the massive amounts of ice cold air that is released will start to reverse global warming. Because every bit of cold air will help, we're reminding everyone that they to do the same thing in their cars, and not when they're driving them either. We don't want to see a bunch of cars just sitting around, when they could be helping to cool down the planet.
We've got a great chain letter campaign going and it is really getting the word out. So if you get one of our chain letters, be sure and pass it along to ten of your friends. That way you will help the planet and the Curse of Gaia will pass you by.
The other thing that we're planning is to protect the wildlife in our neighborhoods. Every day, we see cute little animals that have been hit by cars. So we are raising money for some live animal traps. Once we catch the animals, we are going to spray paint them a nice bright florescent orange and glue some reflectors on them. We have already tried this with some turtles in our neighborhood and have seen a reduction in the number of turtles that have been hit by cars. Unfortunately, the turtles that we protected are a lot easier for their natural predators to catch. We are working on this problem.
We have heard from a lot of naysayers that these plans won't work. But how do you know until you try? We did a trial run of "Cool World" last month and two weeks later we had a record cold spell.
So on Earth Day, when all those people are out picking up trash in the hot sun, do your part to help them. Open those windows, turn down that air and Cool The World."
- Turn down Air Conditioner
- Open Doors and Windows
and give thanks.
I will feel the cool grass of the meadow on my back,
and give thanks.
I will enjoy the warmth of the spring sun on my face,
and give thanks.
I will dip my hand into the life-giving waters of a rushing stream,
and give thanks.
I will watch birds, and worms, and trees, and blackberry bushes, and I will remember all that I see is but the tiniest fraction of life on our planet,
and I will give thanks.
I will let a handful of rich soil sift slowly through my fingers,
and give thanks.
I will look to the sky, and remember that I, the one, am but one of many, and
I will give thanks.
Finally, I will leave the mountain, say goodbye to the raccoons and foxes and otters, the minnows and trout, the robins and blue jays, the gravel and rocks and boulders, the wildflowers, streambeds, soft meadows and fallen trees, and as I drive home through the traffic, past the billboards, the fast food restaurants, the parking lots, and the subdivisions,
I will have renewed hope.
The Sustainability Committee of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, GA used Earth Day as a "teachable moment." While the Committee's presence is made known throughout the year in a continuous and meaningful stream of activities which have the support of the church as a whole, the approach to Earth Day was targeted.
Instead of challenging every aspect of our lives, they targeted one simple behavioral change. By installing new energy saving light fixtures, such as LED retrofits for fluorescent lights, throughout the church and putting descriptive cost comparisons next to them, the Committee showed how simple going green with lighting can be. The expectation is that the idea will be used by congregants and also shared in their workplaces and with other organizations they touch.
As the congregational lunch crowd gathered for a locally grown organic lunch, individuals had time to see, read and understand what going green can mean in various forms of lighting products. In the case of lighting- seeing can become believing.
- The Facilities team and the Sustainability Committee worked to make sure that the appropropriate lighing was installed. Using the latest technology, they replaced or retro-fitted lighiting fixtures. Notecards were written and hung near the appropriate lighting changes.
To pay for the lamps, the Committee sold fair-trade coffee each Sunday after the main service.
- Over the course of about a month, each mom in our group collected empty toilet paper, paper towel, and wrapping paper rolls (which were cut down to toilet paper roll size). We needed about 100 rolls for the event. Before the event, each roll was punched with two holes in one end (for the string or twine).Other supplies that were gathered included honey*, re-usable or compostable bowls for the honey, small wild bird seed, re-usable shallow trays or aluminum pans to hold the seed, small-medium paint brushes, cotton twine, scissors, brown paper bags, and biodegradable, all-natural wet wipes.*shortening or peanut butter can also be used, but we chose honey to avoid peanut allergies.
- Thread a 2' length of twine through the pre-punched holes in the paper roll, and tie the ends in a knot.
- Give the child a roll with string and a paint brush, and let them "paint" their roll with honey.
- Once the roll is covered in honey, hold the string for the child while they roll their sticky creation in a tray of bird seed.
- Holding the string, explain to the child how they can take the seed-covered roll home and hang from a tree branch, fence post, or wherever they choose. They will see birds come to their very own home-made feeder!
- Carefully drop the seed roll into an empty brown paper bag for the child to carry with them without getting sticky or losing their seeds.
- Clean-up time! Offer a natural wet wipe to each parent and child.
